I have a second blog, Writopia which focuses on Dan Brown's pattern of falsehoods and embellishment of his personal achievements.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Quality of Life

I received the following email from a reader and supporter who has expressed the opinion that Dan Brown plagiarized my books:

This probably won't add to the quality of your life - so I've been hesitant - but finally decided all info re: Da Vince Code could be relative.Tonight on E Entertainment (cable channel) they will rerun Forbes 100 celebrities "Who Made Bank." Brown is # 11 - I think. The list starts at 100 and goes to 1.Anyway, the commentators talk about the 100 million Brown made and refer to the lawsuit.Unfortunately, they seem to think there's humor in it.I don't remember the exact words they used when referring to the book's success, but it went something like:This is what happens when someone sues you OR you shouldn't sue someone over a book because this is what happens.Anyway, you may want to check it out.

I replied as follows:

"Thanks ... it doesn't affect me one way or another ... I have SO gotten over that ... plus, the money thing is pretty irrelevant. My wife and I already give a lot to charity and live very simply. I do not see a large amount of $$ changing that. I have always been afraid of things ... when you accumulate things, they begin to own you ... you start to live your life around those things and make decisions designed to protect those things ... that cuts off options and closed doors on creativity ... things, wealth, money, status, fame -- all that's gone in a blink of eternity. Things are not what count.

7 Comments:

Once you get the money, this country doesn't care how you got it. I don't make enough to give myself much let alone a charity so I've never been so encumbered. I agree though, but having been poor, I'd just as soon try rich.

It's hard to believe a clip job like the Da Vinci Code can get one great wealth but that's the sort place this is. Crazy. That's a contant, right beside everyone at TOR is nuts.

Hi Lewis, I just read the article "The Da Vinci Clone" by Jonas Karlsson in Vanity Fair, and felt compelled to send you my support. I had read the "Da Vinci Code" and didn't understand what the hype was about. I found his frequent use of anagrams and fibonacci sequence etc. annoying and trivial (I apologize if these were also completely lifted from your "Daughter of God"). It took North America by storm because the its pop culture is about sensationalism, and embracing alternate spirituality as lifestyle trends. Look at people like Modonna/or Britney Spears they take on a religion like costume changes.

Life may not be fair, but I'm a firm believer in justice in this world. It will come, sometimes later rather than sooner. In the mean time I see from your comments that you've acquired (or maybe always had) the wisdom re. material things. Do you feel you plight has made you a better person?

I was thinking...wouldn't it be ironic for you to write about this whole episode in some autobiography/or semi fiction?